The Name's the Same

Did You Know?

• The theme for most of the run was 'Shooting Star' by Sidney Torch; the last 11 episodes used an instrumental version of 'Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis'.
• A UK version aired on BBC Television from 1954 to 1955, hosted by Bernard Braden, later Peter Martyn.
• A one-off revival was produced for BBC Four in 2005 as part of a season on the 'lost decade'.

Moderators

Robert Q. Lewis hosted from December 5, 1951 to August 31, 1954, with substitutes including Conrad Nagel, Brian Aherne, and Clifton Fadiman. After a hiatus, the show returned on October 25, 1954 with new sponsors and moderators: Dennis James hosted for 18 weeks, Bob and Ray for 10 weeks, and Clifton Fadiman for the final 11 weeks through October 7, 1955.

Panelists

Joan Alexander was the only panelist for the entire run. Original co-panelists were Abe Burrows and Bill Cullen; Cullen was replaced by Meredith Willson after six weeks. Burrows left in November 1952, succeeded by Jerry Lester, then Carl Reiner. Willson left in July 1953, replaced by Bill Stern. In September 1953, Reiner left and Gene Rayburn joined. In February 1954, Bess Myerson was added, and a fourth panelist slot began with Basil Rathbone, then Arnold Stang, then Roger Price. In January 1955, Rayburn and Myerson were replaced by Audrey Meadows and Hy Gardner; Gardner was succeeded by Walter Slezak, then Mike Wallace. Guest panelists included Morey Amsterdam, Garry Moore, and others.

Game play

Each round featured a contestant with a name matching a famous person, place, thing, or action, verified by legal experts. The contestant was called Mr./Mrs./Miss/Master X, and a placard with the name and a drawing was revealed. Panelists asked up to 10 yes-or-no questions each, with a running tally shown. Questions were posed as if the contestant were the namesake. Panelists could pass to save questions. If a panelist failed to guess, they wrote a $25 check (later $20 with four panelists); contestants won $50 if guessed or $75 if not (later $60 or $80). Comedy often arose from innocent questions, as when Carl Reiner asked about 'A. Harem' whether it was for recreational purposes.

Episode status

Kinescope films survive from all four host eras. The show aired on GSN in the 'Black & White Overnight' block from July 14, 2008 to December 2, 2008. Episodes hosted by Lewis were added to Buzzr in January 2018 and removed in January 2019. Uncut episodes circulate among collectors and public-domain dealers, including an April 25, 1955 episode with Emmett Kelly.